Railway car truck



Patented Sept. 17, 1946 RAILWAY CAR TRUCK William A. Geiger, Chicago, Ill., assigner to William P. Sidley, M. F. Back, Albert P.

Withall,

Edwin C. Austin, and George A.

Johnson, all of Chicago, Ill., and Alice T. Miner, Chazy, N. Y., as trustees of The William H.

Miner Foundation Application July 13, 1944, Serial No. 544,664

7 Claims. 1 l This invention relates to an improved railway car truck, and particularly to an improved bolster snub-hing means therefor.

One of the objects of the inventionv is to provide `a snub'bing or shock-absorbing means for the bolster which is adaptable to the side frames of the truck without the necessity of materially changing or enlarging the usual frame and bolster.

More specifically, my object is to provide within the confines of the Walls of the side frame, snub-hing or shock-absorbing means which frictionally acts upon the side walls of the bolster to dampen the vertical movement of the bolster in the frames.

Other' objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying, drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical outer face view of the central portion of one side of a railway cai` truck showing the associated sideframe, bolster and spring cluster; and illustrating my improved snubbing means in connection therewith Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fie'. 1; Y

Fig. 3'i`s a view similar to Fig: l, illustrating a modified form of snubbing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal' section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1, illustrating still another modication of snub-hing mecha-- nisrn.

In the drawing, A indicates one of the side frame. members ofr a railway car truck. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, a railway car truck includestwo side frame members A, a transverse truck bolster B, a spring seat C in the lower portion of each frame, and a spring cluster C supporting each end. of` thebolster for vertical, movement.

The` usual side frame has a central opening D therein, thelower portion of which is wide enough to admitthe bolster endwise. for assembly and disassemblycf the parts, and the upper portion of which isnarrowed to thewidth of the bolster to guide the 'bolster in its. movement.

The usual side frame is in the formy of a casting which in general comprises two vertical side walls II spaced apart in parallel relation and joined by top and bottom walls I2 and I3 respectively. Openings I4 are generally provided in the side walls, which communicate with the space between the walls for access to the interior of the frame and fo-r other purposes not directly con.- cerned with this invention.

The bolster opening D is bounded at the top by a top wall I5 and at the bottom by the spring seat C', and at its sides or ends by the vertical walls I6, except at the upper narrower portions which are left open. in accordance with my invention for the snubbing mechanism, these. walls.` all being integral with and connecting the two` side wallsl of the frame.

The end of the bolster is positioned, between the end margins of the upper portionof the. opening and is guided thereby for vertical movement` in the frame. The bolster is provided with guide lugs ll `Winch embrace the outside. of the` sidev wallsY of the frame to prevent endwise movement of the bolster. The lower portion of the opening is wider so that in assembling, the bolster can Ibe inserted endwise into the opening and',th en raised up into position. This portion of the opening also provides space for the bolster supporting springs C. As is well known in the art, the springs C aregenerally in the form of coil springs, a plurality of which are arranged in a nest, or cluster and positioned between the bolster and the spring seat C', thus providing a yielding sup'- port for the bolster.

The bolster end portions are generally rectangular in section and are formed as hollow castings having horizontal top and bottom walls I8 and verticalv side walls I9 which lie adjacent the margins of the bolster openings and which, in accordance with my invention, provide friction faces upon which the snubbing mechanism acts.

In the structure shown in Figs. l and 2, the friction shoes or members are in the form of bell cranks or L-shaped levers with iplates 2l) and 2l disposed at right angles and joined by webs 22 through which the pivot bolts 23 extend to form fulcrums for the levers. The levers are positioned between the side walls of the frame in the upper portion thereof, and the pivot bolts are supported by these side walls.

The friction shoes or plates 2| are substantially parallel with the bolster end Walls I9, and are maintained in frictional engagement with the bolster side walls by springs 24. These springs 24 are seated upon the `horizontal plates 20 ofthe' bell cranksv and are placed under compression between these plates 20 and the top wall I2 of the side frame and thus act to swing the bell cranks about their fulcrums and force the friction shoes 2l against the bolster end walls I9. While the spring means may be of any suitable form for'theV purpose, I prefer coilV springs for* this purpose;

Centering lugs 25 are provided on the horizontal plate members 20 and on the inner face of the top wall 2 of the frame to hold the springs in place.

In the structures shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bell cranks are somewhat in the form of ice tongs fulcrumed upon a common pivot bolt 21 and mounted in the frame above the center of the bolster. In this form, the spring pressed arms 28 of the bell cranks extend horizontally in opposite directions and are positioned above the bolster and the springs 24 are positioned under compression between these arms 28 and xed seats 29 formed on the inner faces of the frame side walls and extending crosswise thereof.

The friction shoe members 3D are disposed vertically in substantially parallel relation to the bolster end faces to frictionally engage said end faces, but friction shoe members associated with ofthe bolster to that of Vits arm. Each shoe member is carriedby the diagonally extended arm 3| which is joined to the corresponding arm 28 and mounted upon the fulcrum bolt 21. As shown more particularly in Fig. 4, one of the leversconsisting of the arm 28 and the arm 3| is provided with an opening 32 through which the arm 28 of the other lever extends, so that the'arms 28 of the levers are disposed on the opposite side of the bolster to the friction shoes which they carry. lThus in this form of the invention the upward pressure of the springs on thearms 28 swings the shoes into frictional engagement with the bolster. In this structure, the top wall |5 of the bolster opening is omitted to provide operating space forthe arms 3| of the levers.

Inth'e rstructure shown in' Fig. 5, the levers arersimilar to those of Fig. l, except that the spring-'prressed',- arms 42 of the levers are disposed vertically in line with the frictional members or shoes 2|. These are extended upwardly intoj the portion of the side frame above the top wall` |5 of the bolster opening in position to'form seats for rthe coil springs 33 which are positioned under compression between these seats and a central transverse web 34 in the side frame. Thus the springs acting outwardly against the armsf42 swing the levers about their fulcrum bolts 23 and force the shoe members 2| into frictional engagement with the bolster walls. If desired, the action of thersprings 33 can be supplemented by additional springs 35. These springs, however, instead of being under compression', are under tension and are anchored at their outer ends by the bolts 36 and with their inner ends connected by means ofthe lugs 31 onthe lever arms 42. rlhus these springsact to pull upon the arms 42 of the levers and thus their effect is cumulative with respect to the springs 33.

Thus self-contained snubbing mechanism is provided entirely within the confines ofthe side frames.r The friction shoes bear upon the end walls of the bolster and thus serve as snubbers by developing a frictional resistance to the main springs C and thus dampen the compression and recoil or rebound of said main springs to minimize the vibration imparted to the car body.

` Iclaim:

V1. In a railway car truck, the combination of a side frame having an opening therein, a bolster disposed transversely of the truck and guided for vertical movement in said opening, spring means in the frame below the bolster for supporting 4 said bolster, pivotally mounted friction shoes in said frame positioned adjacent the side walls of the bolster, and having arm extensions above the bolster` and spring mechanism independent of said bolster supporting spring means positioned between the arm extensions and the frame above the bolster acting on said arm extensions to force the shoes into frictional engagement with the bolster to snub the movement of said bolster.

2. In a railway car truck, the combination ofV a side frame comprising side walls spaced apart and having a bolster opening therethrough, a bolster disposed transversely of the truck and guided for vvertical movement by the Wall margins of said opening, spring means below the bolster supporting said bolster Vin said frame, pivotally mounted levers positioned between the walls of the frame and having friction shoe portions frictionally engaging the side Walls of the bolster, said levers having arms forming spring seats, and springs in the upper part of the frame above the bolster compressed between said spring seats and the frame for forcing the shoe portions against the bolster.

3. In a railway car truck, the combination of ai: side frame comprising side walls spaced apart and' having a', bolster openingl therethrough, a bolster disposedA transversely of the .truck and guided for vertical movementby the Wall'margins of said opening, spring means below the bolster supporting said bolster in saidV frame,

a lever pivotally mounted between the walls of the frame adjacent each side of the bol.-V

ster and having a friction plate frictionally engaging a verticalV side face of said bolster, arms for said levers providing spring seats, and coil springs independent of said bolster j supporting spring meansV positioned within the frame above the bolster and compressed 'bea side frame comprising side walls spaced apart and having a bolster opening therethrough, a bolsterV disposed transversely of th'e'truck'and guided for vertical movementby the wall margins of said opening, spring means supporting.' saidbolster in said frame, vertically disposed friction plates pivotally mounted between the walls of the frame vadjacent the sides of the bolster, laterali horizontally disposed extensions on said plates,

and vertically disposed coil springs within the frame above said bolster and compressed between; said lateral extensions and the frame for forcing the friction plates into frictional engagement with the vertical faces of the bolster to resist*` the, compression and rebound of said bolster supporting spring means.

5. In a railway car truck, the combination'of aside frame comprising side walls spaced apart and having a bolster opening therethrough, Va. bolster .disposed transversely of the truck and guided for vertical movement by the Wall mar--V gins, of saidyopening spring means supportingv said bolster in said frame, vertically disposed friction plates pivotally mounted between .the Walls of the frame adjacent the sides of the bolster, vertical extensions on said plates above the pivots thereof, and horizontally disposed coil springs within the frame above the bolster opening and compressed between said extensionsand .i a` seat inr the frame for forcing thefriction plates f 75 into frictional engagement with the vertical side faces of .the bolster to resist the compression and rebound of the bolster supporting spring means.

6. In a railway car truck, the combination of' a side frame .comprising side walls spaced apart and having a bolster opening therethrough, a bolster disposed transversely of the truck and guided for vertical movement by .the wall margins of said opening, spring means supporting said bolster in said frame, vertically disposed friction plates pivotally mounted between the walls of the frame adjacent the sides of the bolster, vertical extensions on said plates above the pivots thereof, horizontally disposed coil springs within the frame above the bolster opening and compressed between said extensions and a seat in the frame, and supplemental coil springs under tension and connected to the extensions and the frame and acting cumulatively with said compressed coil springs for forcing the friction plates into frictional engagement with the bolster 20 faces to `frictionally resist the compression and rebound of said bolster supporting spring means.

7. In a railway car truck, the combination of a side frame comprising side walls spaced apart andhaving a bolster opening therethrough, a

bolster disposed transversely of the truck and guided for vertical movement by ythe wall margins of said opening, spring means supporting said bolster in said frame, levers positioned between the walls of .the frame above the bolster opening and pivotally mounted upon a common fulcrum, ,said levers being disposed horizontally and extending in opposite directions beyond the width of the bolster, and each lever having an arm extending to the opposite side of the bolster, a friction shoe plate on each arm adapted to be swung into frictional engagement with the adjacent side wall of the bolster, and coil springs vertically disposed in the frame and compressed between seats in the frame and the horizontally eX- tended levers for swinging said friction plates against the bolster.

WILLIAM A. GEIGER. 

